


Reverberatory Loops

by Oblivion_Wanderer



Series: Second Chances [2]
Category: Hellboy (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Golden Army
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-09 12:26:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11669094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_Wanderer/pseuds/Oblivion_Wanderer
Summary: Even after everything that's happened, even though they're closer than ever, nightmares can still come back to haunt them; echoing through one another in the hours of night...





	1. Dreams of Darker Times

**Author's Note:**

> Canon divergence AU in which Nuada and Nuala lived, and takes place after the events of the Golden Army.
> 
> I also had the headcanon that because they have similar/the same ability to read other people as well as each other, Nuala and Abe share a connection similar to a "Ghost Drift" (if anyone's seen PR, you'll know what I mean) that formed when their minds were exposed to one another in the shop and is stronger the closer they are in proximity.
> 
> (great, now I'm imagining a Pacific Rim AU. Idk how that would work, but whatever).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been years since Bruttenholm saved him from those scientists and gave him a home, but sometimes Abe still dreams of them, of darker times he'd rather forget.
> 
> But this time he's got Nuala.

Even after all the years that had gone by since he was saved from a literal hell and given a new home by Bruttrenholm, the past sometimes came back to haunt Abe.

They came back in the form of nightmares. They were nothing new to him, as they were off and on occurrences ever since being freed years ago, but they came sudden and always left him shaken as he was dragged back down into memories of those dark days. He used to have them often after he met Bruttenholm and Hellboy, but over time they eased out and didn't happen as frequently as they used to. He still hated the nightmares though.

The last time one of those nightmares came was shortly before the Golden Army incident. It was one of the usual iterations of the nightmare, but it still left him unable to sleep for the rest of the night. He'd tried his best to push thoughts of it aside the next day, if only so his friends wouldn't worry; both Liz and Hellboy knew of his nightmares. Then a couple days later the 'tooth fairy' thing happened, and then the troll market, and then...

...Then Abe met princess Nuala.

He'd followed her to some kind of shop, and she had been clearly aware he had been following. The first contact they had allowed him to see into her mind, and it became apparent she was doing the same to him. A connection had formed that night, and his mind seemed a bit clearer than it had over the past few days.

After some brief chaos, induced by her twin brother Nuada, Nuala accompanied Abe and his companions back to the B.P.R.D., insisting where the final crown piece went, so did she. Abe had gotten to spend some time with her that night, enjoying her company and talking with her.

It was the happiest he'd felt in a long time. The nightmare from earlier in the week was forgotten.

Nuada had to unfortunately ruin the moment when he reappeared again, taking Nuala and injuring Hellboy, one of Abe's closest friends. Abe still partially blamed himself for that, even though he knew he couldn't have anticipated Nuada finding them. Between Nuala being taken and Hellboy practically on the brink of death, Abe wondered if these would become new nightmares to plague him in his sleep; nightmares of his friends dying, of the princess he loved being taken from him. Nightmares fueled by guilt.

But the darkness eventually cleared.

They'd managed to save Hellboy, for starters, which did make Abe happy; knowing the one he regarded as his brother wouldn't die. And, yes, things had looked bleak after that; knowing he'd fallen for Nuada's trick when he handed over the crown piece, an army of golden machines towering around them, watching Hellboy and Nuada duel for the crown. And then Nuala-

Taking advantage of the link between herself and her brother, Nuala had stabbed her hand with her dagger (her right, since Nuada held his dagger with his right hand) and held it at her throat to stop him. Distraction had been her plan, and Liz had to hold Abe back from rushing over to her; even Nuala told him not to interfere. Liz had only waited till after Hellboy was able to snatch the crown away from Nuada to let Abe go. Liz set the crown on fire, letting it melt into nothing.

In the aftermath, Abe held the princess close, being careful of her injuries. The darkness was gone and the connection flowed freely between them, like a calm stream.

She'd recovered, thankfully, both injuries on her hand and arm being patched up, with no lasting damage to her injured hand, luckily. Nuada, in the meantime, had been detained. Nuala agreed to stay with Abe and the others at the B.P.R.D. until she decided where to go from here and what was to be done about Nuada. Abe was happy to have her near, and he felt at ease.

But of course, there were still things that remained.

One night sometime after the Golden Army incident, as he floated asleep in his tank, Abe dreamed...

 

> _Trapped. He was trapped._
> 
> _He pressed his hand to the glass, panicked, but no one was listening._
> 
>   _"Please let me out! Let me out!"_
> 
> _His pleas fell on deaf ears. They always did. They didn't care. They didn't give a damn about him._
> 
> _He sensed someone near the tank, and a blurry figure appeared. He went still, but in the next moment something ripped him out from the water. He air was a harsh rush against his gills._
> 
> _He was strapped down to a table and felt the sharp point of a needle break the skin, drawing his blood. He felt something being injected into him and it burned in his veins._
> 
> _"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"_
> 
> _He saw the glint of a blade a moment before it pierced his flesh and he screamed._

 

Abe woke with a gasp, twisting around in the water on reflex, as if those people still had him in their grip, but realized there was no one holding him down. He took quick breaths as he slowly realized that this space he was in now was larger than that place he'd been trapped in before. It wasn't completely dark in here ether, lights refracting ever so delicately in the water and allowing him to get a look at where he was. He remembered that this was his own tank, the one professor Bruttenholm had given him years ago after saving him from those scientists.

 _'Just a dream.'_ Abe told himself, trying to get his breathing under control. _'It wasn't real. You're not there.'_

He allowed himself to float in the water, willing the dark images to go away. All the while, his heart beat heavily in his chest.

There was suddenly a brush of concern that did not belong to him. He picked up a presence from somewhere above him, looking up to see that there were pale feet in the water. Abe didn't have to guess whose feet they were. Only now did he consider that she could have possibly picked up on his torment from the nightmare.

And then Nuala gently called his name through their connection.

 

* * *

 

Nuala wasn't exactly sure what had woken her from her slumber. Something had woken her, she knew that much; she could feel it in her mind. It was fleeting and faint, but it was there; a flash of fear, pain, desperation.

She rubbed at her eyes and sat up on the sofa, removing herself from the blankets she was wrapped up in. Nuala currently resided with Abe, on a sofa near his tank so she could be near him while she slept. She was staying the night before she had to return to her own people to sort out remaining matters, what with her father dead and her brother indisposed. She still had her room here from last time, but preferred to be with Abe. She was not a water dwelling creature like him, sure, but this was enough.

Lights played on the water near her, and she smiled softly at the thought of Abe sleeping soundly in his natural habitat. After all the madness that Nuada had caused, Nuala was glad for this peace, and being with Abe. She was glad that he was safe, and that his friends were safe as well.

Then the flash of fear came again, and she realized it was not her own. It wasn't of her brother ether; he'd been quiet since he was locked away. That left only one other source, one other she was connected to.

 _'Abraham.'_ She realized.

Nuala grabbed her shawl and stood from the sofa, making her way over to the glass wall of the tank. Abe was there, sound asleep from what she could tell, still aside from a twitch of one of his hands. None the less, she placed her hand on the glass; something wasn't right. Concerned, Nuala felt around their connection to try and figure out what was troubling Abe.

On the night they met in the Troll Market, Nuala hadn't expected to find that Abe had an ability like her own; that they would see into each other's hearts and minds. Maybe that's why he had appeared hesitant. None the less, in that moment, perhaps because they had the same gift, a connection had been formed, and it lingered between them like a silent, invisible thread. It was simple enough to navigate.

Nuala picked up hints of what she had felt before, and she pulled away and climbed up a ladder that would take her up to a platform that bordered the edge of the tank. At the edge, she now saw Abe under the surface. She knelt down and put her hand into the water. She could get a better reading this way, outside of actual contact. She concentrated on him, and what she could sense from Abe was distress within his sleep.

She wanted to try and send feelings of love and comfort to Abe, perhaps jump in, swim down to him and let him know that herself, but then sensed that he had suddenly woken up. She watched Abe look around as if he didn't have a grasp on where he was, sensing panic now. It soon faded, and he went still, but it worried her to see Abe this way.

Nuala withdrew her hand and sat down on the edge of the platform, letting her feet be submerged in the water instead. She had no doubt that Abe would take notice, he'd be able to sense her presence, but still, she closed her eyes and called to him in her mind.

It didn't take long for him to figure out she was there and swim up to the surface. He looked lovely in the downlight; fascinating and beautiful black eyes staring back at her.

"Nuala... What are you doing up?" He asked. There was something off in his voice.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm...fine. Why do you ask?"

"I sensed you were in distress." She answered, concerned.

He blinked at her and then looked away. "Ah... I hoped you hadn't picked up on it. I haven't woken you, have I?"

"No, not really. Bad dream?"

"Bad dream..."

They fell into silence, and Nuala reached out to touch his shoulder, sending comfort to him. She felt Abe flinch under her hand, but didn't move away. She knew something was on his mind, something he wasn't telling her, but she would not push him to reveal it. She did not want to stress Abe any more than he might be.

Abe withdrew from her touch, though he didn't dive back under the water. Instead, he got out of the tank and up onto the platform, then walking over to her and sitting next to her. She reached out and laid her hand on top of his; chilled and wet.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Nuala asked again.

Abe sighed. "I'm not...entirely sure. I... I haven't had a nightmare like that in a while; since before I met you."

"Do you suffer from these nightmares often?"

"Not as much as I used to. They came more frequently during my first couple years here, but they still come back to me at times."

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Nuala sensed hesitation the moment she asked that, so she quickly amended, "Only if you want to. I was merely worried about what could be troubling you, but I will not force you to talk about it if that is not what you want."

She left the answer up to him, yet still keeping her hand on his as they sat at the edge, both of their feet still in the water. She could still feel that sense of hesitation from Abe, as if he was debating whether to tell her or not. Of course, that was his choice. She couldn't change his mind, only offer to help in any way she could.

"I don't know how much you learned of it when we first met," Abe said suddenly. "but a long, long time ago, before professor Bruttenholm brought me here, I lived in darker days. What took place back then, what was... was done to me- it was forever burned into my memories. Most of my nightmares consist of days that... that I'd very much like to not remember or relive."

Nuala would admit she did pick up on something during their brief moment of first contact in the shop, but she hadn't been able to exactly work out what it was. She didn't know much, no context, but knew it was something shrouded in darkness and pain. So, she knew little, but could guess Abe was hinting about this dark sphere of memory that had passed her by during that connection.

Whatever this was, it was causing the one she loved pain. The thought pulled at her heart, and yet, at the same time, made her want to understand. She wanted to understand, if only to better help him.

"When I asked for your hand the first time, I did sense... something." Nuala confessed. "It wasn't much, but there was a darkness about it. I'm guessing it was this 'darker time'?"

He nodded. "Most likely that's what you sensed." He looked away from the water, and turned to her. "You do not need to worry; it's something I've had to learn to deal with. Besides, having you here- it helps."

She gave him a small smile, sensing the sincerity of his words; a bloom of love and gratitude radiating from him. It made her happy to know she could at least help him, be there for him. Still...

"If I may, with your permission of course, I would like to try and understand." Nuala said.

There was a pulse of anxiety from Abe. "A-Are you sure?"

"Yes. I know I may not be able to truly understand whatever these visions are, but I would like to try if you'll allow me."

Abe didn't respond right away, but then he bowed his head to her and she felt him go calm, or about as much as he could in his present state. Nuala took that as a sign to proceed and reached out to cup his head in her hands, mindful of his gills.

Nuala closed her eyes and focused, and that's when a bombardment of images, memories, hit her.

She saw murky waters, heard muffled voices. A webbed hand that was not hers pressed against glass in a desperate motion. Feelings of despair and fear and pain came to her that were not hers.

Nuala saw Abe, trapped. She saw men who tapped on the glass, startling Abe and they just laughed at him, spoke unkind things. They talked about him like a test subject, only caring about Abe's ability that he himself was trying to understand at the same time. Nuala saw him dragged from the tank, ether unconscious or struggling against his captors, begging them to stop their experiments. She saw Abe kicked when he bit someone's hand in self defense. She saw him gasping for air- they left him out too long, just to see how long he could survive out of water. She felt the sting of a needle, and knew that it was not her that the men were sticking needles into. She saw Abe at his weakest, tangled in wires, hooked up to machines and struggling to stay awake. A blade came down and a scream pierced her ears. Nuala was forced to watch them cut into Abe.

There was blood... his blood.

Nuala opened her eyes, feeling a rush of emotion; sadness and anger. She felt tears in her eyes, yet she did not let go of Abe.

"Oh..." She muttered. It was really the only response she could give, images of what she saw still playing in her mind. "Abraham..."

It was difficult to read expressions on him, but she could sense what he felt; the familiar despair, fright, anxiety "I...I'm sorry if it was too much, and that I never said anything. I'm sorry you had to see me in that state. I just didn't want to burden you with it; my past, the days I spent living in an oversized test tube while those scientists picked me apart."

Nuala looked at him with sympathy, still saddened to learn the horrible truth he went through and angry with those who had done that to him. She knew now why his nightmares tended to torment him so. However, at the same time, though those days had clearly scarred him, both mentally and physically as she had seen, she felt a surge of pride. At the tail end, she had seen that after being rescued, he'd been withdrawn, but he slowly opened up again over time and became who he was now. He'd learned to live again. Nuala had fallen in love with someone who had been put through so much against his will, but still found it within himself to be kind, to be the being she knew.

"You could never be a burden to me." She whispered, sincere. She removed her feet from the water she she could sit up on her knees on the platform. Keeping her hands on Abe, she leaned up and kissed him, gentle and for a moment, but made sure to assure him through the connection that she loved him and that everything was okay now. He was safe, far away from those who tortured him years ago.

A feeling of relief came from him when she pulled away. She imagined that if he could, he might be smiling.

"Thank you." He muttered, sounding a bit better. "That means so much for you to say. Red and Liz know about my nightmares, but I... I've never really shown them. They know of those days- Red has seen more than Liz knows, since he was there with Bruttenholm, but it's hard to even begin to explain what I went through."

"I understand." Nuala replied. "In general it must be a difficult task when you try to explain something you don't want to remember or that only you experienced. I feel honored you have enough trust to allow me to see, and at the same time I'm sorry you had to endure that. Those men, those evil men- they treated you like a monster, hurt you so. They should burn."

"They wouldn't stop. They didn't care what happened to me. I was in such pain, Nuala. I wanted it to stop..."

His voice was breaking again; she hated hearing him so sad. "I felt it; I know. I'm so sorry."

She then put her arms around him, her shawl falling from her shoulders. His skin was wet from the water, but she didn't care.

"Nuala, your nightgown-" Abe tried.

"Its alright." She hushed him. "I don't care. As long as you're okay. I'm glad you're here, you know."

Slowly, he put his arms around her in return, holding her tight against him. "I am too, my love."

"I never met Bruttenholm, and I know I will never get the chance, but he saw something in you, some light. He noticed like I did."

"I guess he did. I wish you could have met him; he would have liked you."

Nuala chuckled. "You think so?"

"I know so."

 


	2. Dreams of Days Gone By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of the Golden Army have since passed, but for Nuala, the memory of what happened still lingers.
> 
> Luckily, she still has Abe.

Nightmares weren't foreign to Nuala; she had them before as a child. Nuada had spooked her with a story from the human world, and of course she blamed him for that.

When her brother went into exile, she had dreams that he would never return. She dreamed her people faded to dust, forgotten. On one occasion, she dreamed that she had died, or that Nuada had died and took her with him thanks to their strange bond.

On one occasion she dreamed of the Golden Army rising from ashes once more.

She was not immune to that sort of darkness, and she had endured them before, even if they had left her trembling. She never really told anyone about them ether, not even if Nuada was able to pick them out, which sometimes he could. Because of their bond as twins, they could sometimes tell if the other had suffered a nightmare, but Nuala still tended to deal with the dark dreams herself.

It'd been a long time since she had a nightmare, but shortly before Nuada returned, Nuala did have one.

Nuala dreamed her brother had returned and killed her father.

She woke up shaking, clutching her sheets close to her and her heart racing in her chest. She felt a strong sense of foreboding, but she also felt afraid. Sitting up in bed, she had put her head in her hands and told herself it wasn't real, that it was just a dream. The ambitions of Nuada concerned her, yes, but she kept telling herself it was only a dream and that would never happen.

Of course she was proven wrong when Nuada finally came back. She tried to greet him but was brushed aside and Nuada went off to cause chaos on the human world. She learned then what Nuada was really after- the ancient crown that was split apart. He took the piece from the human world... and then killed their father to get the other. Her nightmare had come true.

Knowing Nuada would want the last piece, the one Nuala held, she fled. She fled into the troll market, into the map shop...

...And it was there she met Abe.

She'd known he was following her, she'd seen him looking her way. Cautious, she had tried to get away, but he had caught up to her in that shop. When she had asked for his hand, he was hesitant, but she found, upon touch, that this strange and fascinating being wasn't her enemy; rather, he worked for a organization here in the human world. She saw a creature of water with a strange name. She saw a flash of darkness somewhere in there, but didn't dwell upon it, only the light and kindness she felt from him. She felt his mind brush against hers, and she was surprised that he too could read her.

It was exhilarating, to encounter someone like Abe, and she felt just a bit lighter from connecting with him.

Nuala would later find herself accompanying Abe and his friends back to the organization he worked for. She was given a spare room and she talked with Abe for a little bit. Nuala genuinely enjoyed talking with him, getting to know him. She appreciated his assurances that Nuada wouldn't find her at their present location. When she bid him goodnight, she heard him as she walked out of the room, sounding a bit flustered. Nuala smiled to herself, amused. She had felt a slight sensation of... well, something from him, but she couldn't quite place it. It was such a warm feeling though.

It wouldn't be too long after that, in her room, she heard music and singing. She heard the voices of the demon- 'Red' or 'Hellboy' as he was referred to- and Abe. She picked out Abe's voice and listened. She hadn't known he could sing. It was lovely, and soothing. Nuala smiled and wondered if she could fall asleep to the sound of his voice, as if it was a lullaby that would lure her into a peaceful slumber.

She got none of that though, as Nuada did find her, as she suspected he might, and stole her away, but not before she hid the last crown piece and tried to burn the map. She had to watch as Nuada fought with Hellboy, gravely injuring him in the process. In the last moment, she looked to Abe, silently trusting him to safeguard the last crown piece for her. She later mourned being taken away from him.

Being taken away from someone who loved her. She had felt it.

In Bethmoora, tired and frustrated with Nuada, she dreams. She dreams of her father's death once more... and she dreams that Nuada had killed Abe.

She wakes up with tears in her eyes.

She tries to drown her mind in memories of Abe, telling herself that won't happen. Her father may be dead, but Abe- she cannot let Abe or his friends die.

Nuada drags her into the chamber where he says he will wait. So they wait, and Nuala silently dreads the inevitable. She has faith in Abe and his friends, that they will come, and that just maybe they can stop her brother, but at the same time she dreads it, because she is afraid of what could happen. They do arrive soon enough, lead by the one she recognizes as Hellboy. She does not smile, but is smug with the satisfaction that Nuada was unsuccessful in killing him. However, it was surprisingly Abe who shocks her and touches her heart at the same time, giving the last crown piece to Nuada.

 _'You fool. It's a trap.'_ She thinks, and yet... _'You'd sell the world for me...?'_

Her nightmares seem to be coming to life all at once; Nuada raising the Golden Army from the dead, anxiously watching Abe and his friends try to fight them off, Hellboy and Nuada engaging in a duel.

The duel goes on as each fights valiantly, and Nuala can only find herself spectating. To her surprise, Hellboy claims the victory, and she thinks, for a moment, that it's over. She wants to move, run to Abe and reunite with him, but then she sees that her brother will not accept this so easily, already reaching for his dagger.

 _'No.'_ She thinks, and in a split second decision, she takes her own dagger and stabs it through her right hand, knowing that's the one Nuada holds his dagger with.

She cries out and falls, blood flowing from her hand. Nuada drops his own dagger and clutches his hand, disabled by Nuala. She doesn't give him much time to react however, and as he realizes what she did. Glaring up at her, Nuala grabs her dagger with her uninjured hand and holds the blade to her throat. She hears Abe call out for her, but she tells him not to interfere, that this is something she must do. One of Abe's friends, Elizabeth or Liz if she recalls correctly, the one with the soul of fire, holds him back.

Nuada is angry with her, of course, asking her why she intervened, and she tells her brother she could not let him resort to underhand tactics when he lost fairly. As she speaks, she looks briefly to Hellboy and nods, acknowledging him. Nuada is still speaking to her when Hellboy is able to snatch the crown off his head while he is distracted, and tosses it quickly to Liz, who lets go of Abe and lights the crown ablaze. By the time Nuada realizes what happened, it is too late and the crown is melting.

Soon after, Abe approaches her and they stare at each other for a minute before they embrace. She can sense intense joy, relief, and love from him, and their connection blossoms at being so close, like they resonate with each other.

 _'So this is love.'_ She thinks as he holds her, so close she can hear his heart.

After her brother was detained and her injuries were tended to, she decided to follow Abe and the others back to the B.P.R.D. to sort things out. There was the matter of deciding what to do about her brother, first off, but for the time being he was locked up where he couldn't cause trouble. Hellboy joked about sending him to Antarctica and have someone named Myers deal with him, but Liz punched him in the shoulder for it. Apparently, according to Abe, Myers was a friend of theirs who was suddenly transferred to the icy land.

However, even though this gave her more time to be with Abe, she could not always be there. The fact that her people were now without a leader required her to travel back from time to time to help take care of things. Nuala was, after all, the closest one they had to a leader, and she felt as though she had a duty to help. Abe understood, and Nuala treasured the moments when she could be with him.

Nuala felt alive with him, and she accepted him with open arms, even the darkness that she knew existed in his past. He was light to her, and she loved him dearly.

One night after returning to Abe's home from a meeting with some old friends of her father's, Nuala dreamed....

 

> _Her brother shot her a glance as blood dripped from her nose, as well as his. She stood frozen_ _as he shook his head and then turned to their father and striking him with the dagger._
> 
> _She turned and ran, afraid._
> 
> _She was aware her nose was still bleeding._
> 
> _She tripped, something gold falling from her grasp as she hit the ground; she could hear it clatter against the floor._
> 
> _The impact sent waves of pain through her body, and she struggled to get to her feet. She lifted her head, and saw a hand held out toward her; blue and webbed._
> 
> _"Abraham..."_
> 
> _She started to smile and reached out toward him, but the moment her fingertips brushed his, he vanished like dust, and suddenly she found herself in the chamber of the Golden Army._
> 
> _Everything was quiet around her, eerily quiet, and then she heard the sound of something coming to life... something mechanical. She got to her feet, just in time for her to hear someone call her name. She tried to turn in the direction of it, but someone else grabbed her by the arm. She tried to struggle, but then she saw the gold mechanical monsters rise around her, the sound of gears and fire filling her ears._
> 
> _And then she felt something wet on her hands. Looking at them she saw blood on her skin. It was not hers._

 

Nuala bolted upright, drawing in a sharp intake of breath. Her heart was racing, reeling from the images she saw. Her eyes darted around, not immediately recognizing her surroundings and part of her thinking she was still in that chamber; that chamber where everything had nearly fallen apart.

But slowly things came into focus and she realized she was still with Abe at his home. She was not in the chamber. The events of her brother's attempt to resurrect the Golden Army and declare war on the human world had since passed. Nuada hadn't succeeded. Everything was alright.

Nuala sighed shakily and laid back down on sofa, closing her eyes. She still had the room she had been given here, but she tended to stick with Abe and slept on a sofa near his tank. The sofa was comfortable enough for her, though she had also piled pillows and blankets onto it.

"Only a dream." She told herself aloud as she lay back, then repeating it in her mind like a mantra.

She suddenly heard familiar footsteps, and sensed someone nearby, anxious. She could already take a guess at who it was even before she opened her eyes.

Nuala let her arm dangle over the edge of the sofa, a moment later a familiar hand taking hers.

 

* * *

 

Abe didn't notice anything at first when he woke. All was quiet as he floated in the water, everything around him blue. It was peaceful. He also knew Nuala was nearby was well, which set him further at ease.

He sighed happily and decided to swim over to the glass wall to see her. He knew she was sleeping, but he wouldn't wake her or anything.

He swam over to said wall and looked out to see Nuala asleep on the nearby sofa. It was her usual resting place whenever she stayed over, seeing as how she couldn't naturally breathe in water like he could. From his vantage point, Abe could see Nuala curled up in a blanket on the sofa; her back to him. She'd looked tired when she had returned earlier in the day, so it was good to see her resting.

She suddenly turned over to lay on her back, and he couldn't help but think she looked beautiful when she slept. But then Abe noticed something strange; Nuala looked restless.

Abe tilted his head, a tad worried. Maybe she was having a hard time sleeping was all. He did recognize the fact that she was very much involved in helping sort out matters regarding her own people. He knew at times it stressed and or tired her. He couldn't imagine what it was like, but he wanted to support her in whatever way he could.

And then, suddenly, he saw Nuala wake and sit upright, looking startled. There was a flash of panic across their connection.

Concerned for her, Abe swam up to the surface of the tank and climbed out. He hesitated at first, not wanting to startle her further, but he wanted to know she was okay. If something was wrong, then-

"Only a dream."

He stopped. He wasn't exactly in her line of sight, but he heard what she said as she lay back down on the sofa.

 _'A nightmare.'_ He realized. It made sense, given how she had woken up suddenly and her words just now. He knew how nightmares were.

Slowly, Abe approached the sofa where she lay, stopping when her arm moved to hang off the edge of the sofa. Nuala knew he was there; her hand was outstretched for him.

Abe closed the distance and took her hand.

"Abraham..." Nuala muttered, her fingers curling around his hand.

"I'm here." He replied. He kneeled down next to the sofa and sent gentle waves of comfort to her. He could feel that there was tension in her. After a moment, she moved her head to look at him, opening her eyes. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I will be. It was-" She paused to take in a breath. "was just a bad dream."

"That was my first thought. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Nuala's hand tightened around his own. He could sense that she wasn't completely calm yet, but she didn't want him to leave. No words really needed to be said for him to understand.

"Alright." He said, hushing her. "You take it easy. You're safe; nothing will harm you here."

Nuala pulled her blanket up to her chest, and for a moment Abe thought she was going to attempt going back to sleep. Instead, she spoke once more.

"I was dreaming of the days gone by; from my brother's return to the chamber of the Golden Army. I haven't had a nightmare since before my brother returned from exile, and then..." Nuala trailed off, suddenly looking distant and sad. "You know the rest."

Abe did know; he knew of what Nuada had done, from what Nuala told him anyway.

Nuala let got of his hand and sat up; moving to one side of the sofa, pulling her blankets closer to her, leaving an empty place on the sofa. Taking the hint, Abe got up from the floor and sat next to her on the sofa. As he reached for her hand again, Abe was vaguely reminded of the other week when Nuala had found him after one of his own nightmares. She had sat with him and listened as he told her what was plaguing him, even going so far as to be willing to letting herself see into his dark past to better understand.

Now, next to her with the roles reversed, Abe resolved that he would listen to whatever was on her mind, if she wished to speak about it of course. Nuala had helped him before, so he would do the same for her. He wanted to help the one he loved.

"Were you close to your father?" He asked.

Nuala shrugged. "I didn't see much of my father. He was the king, after all. We weren't exactly close, but he was still my father. When Nuada went into exile, I got to know my father more. He even allowed me to sit in on council meetings on occasion. The dagger I used to stop Nuada at the chamber of the Golden Army- it is mine. It is part of a set that was gifted to me and Nuada at birth; a gift from our father. He kept the peace between our world and the human world for all those years. I do not know if I can ever forgive Nuada for killing him..."

"I can hardly blame you." Abe agreed. "I've had people I care about taken from me too."

"Bruttenholm." Nuala supplied.

"Yes... I was badly injured at the time of his death and I did not hear about it right away. I had been unconscious when it happened, and Liz told me after I woke up. Point is, I can't ever forgive those who murdered him; the person who saved me and who I saw as a father."

"We've both had people we care about taken from us." Her voice was quieter, and Abe felt a wave of sadness from her, as if she was recalling something that was upsetting to her. Given their conversation, she just might be. "In Bethemoora, I relived the moment of my father's death in my dreams; I dreamed of everything that had happened thus far, and I dreamed that... that Nuada had killed you."

"Oh..." Abe muttered. He could relate, to an extent. When Nuada took Nuala from him, when Hellboy was gravely injured- Abe had thought those would haunt him as nightmares. He had been so afraid he could loose both of them; both his brother and Nuala.

She laughed sadly and shook her head. "I guess the events surrounding Nuada's attempt to raise the Golden Army are still on my mind. Everything that's happened... It was almost like my nightmares had manifested into the physical realm."

"I know. It was a tense and dangerous time for both of us." Abe replied. He understood, and he could only guess as to how hard it had been on Nuala especially. Nuada was still her brother.

"But there was something good that came from all of it at least." A smile came to her face, even as her voice cracked with emotion. "Meeting you, Abraham."

He could most certainly agree with that statement. Amid all the turmoil, they'd somehow found each other, almost purely on accident too. "I'm glad I met you too." Abe took her right hand and turned it over so her palm was facing up. He traced his fingers over the scar from where she had stabbed herself. "And if it's any consolation, the nightmares will fade. Maybe not completely, but they will fade in time. Seems we both have to live with the memories. Even so-"

He pulled Nuala forward, putting his arms around her. There was a sudden flash of surprise across their connection, from Nuala.

"I will be here to chase the darkness away. We have each other."

Abe couldn't get a reading on Nuala for a moment, and he wondered if that was too much. He was going to let go when she shivered, and then relaxed in his arms. He felt the tension he'd picked up on earlier fading away.

"Feeling better?" He asked, relieved.

"Y-yes." Nuala replied, though she sniffled. Abe wondered if she was crying, but he sensed a feeling of gratefulness. "I'm too used to dealing with these myself, but I must admit, talking with you has helped."

"You did the same for me not so long ago, so of course I would return the favor, especially for the one I love."

She held onto him tighter, and he didn't say a word, simply reveling in her presence. Nuala was so close him him, and he felt the familiar sensation of resonating with her. He felt expressions of love through her thanks, and in return he assured her that everything was okay; that she was safe, that they were both safe. He reiterated what he had told her before as well, what he knew.

They did indeed have each other.

 


End file.
